10 Reasons Why The Middle Child Is The Best Child
By
Michael Avery in
Life Style
On 17th October 2016
There are a lot of rumors going around that middle children have it pretty rough.
OK, some of those rumors are actually based on scientific evidence... but I think that the world has been looking at middle children all wrong.
As a middle child myself, I don't think I'm the forgotten child—I'm the independent one.
You think I try and attract attention because I'm lonely? Nope, I'm just super creative and clearly the person everyone wants to party with. Admit it. I'm on your speed dial.
And I'm convinced I'm not alone.
Here are the talents that every middle child has, and that prove middle children will always and forever be kings among siblings.
1. They get ignored.
This sounds bad, right? Well, it is...until you want a little peace and quiet.
2. They're great at keeping the peace.
When the oldest child is going through teen angst and the youngest is hitting the terrible twos, the middle child is the one who pulls it all together.
3. There's less pressure to perform.
The first born has the world on their shoulders. A parent doesn't want to know they screwed up, so tries every single self-help book they can purchase to make the perfect kid. The last born, they want to fix everything they screwed up along the way. But the middle child? They're free to try out those experiments without the worry of their parents looming down over every move they make.
4. They don't develop huge egos.
They've never been the center of attention, so they don't expect the world to revolve around them.
5. They can gang up with the older kid to torment the "baby."
6. They can also gang up with the baby to blame stuff on the oldest kid.
That's even more fun.
7. Sure, they get hand-me-downs but at least they're not at the bottom of the hand-me-down food chain.
No new bike? Sure. Hand me downs? That's cool. No one likes the person at school or work that hogs all the good snacks, and we've been prepared for it our whole lives. Seriously. Just share. Your waistline is already thanking me for it.
8. They're experts at arguing.
Along with negotiating skills comes a need to chill everybody out. It's not about escalation with middle children, but conflict resolution. Look at Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King Jr. for some prime examples.
9. They also know how to be quiet.
Middle children are the silent presence that makes everyone show up for Thanksgiving and Christmas. They're the reassuring sibling that ends the feuds between mom and the younger sister so that everyone can move forward. And they never ask for credit. Basically, they're saints.
10. They're ready for the real world.
Middle children are pretty used to not getting their own way. Instead, they use their skills of manipulation and negotiation to get what they want, according to Psychology Today. This could explain why 52 percent of American Presidents were middle children, including Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Teddy Roosevelt, says Katrin Schumann, author of The Secret Power of Middle Children.
